The Frigate Mess at the Philippine Navy: When Politics Influence Military decisions

Nikko Dizon published a very interesting story behind the ongoing scandal affecting the Philippine Navy today. Let me simplify this story so that you'll understand what really is the core issue here.

The previous Navy leadership procured a frigate from Hyundai, a Korean firm. Stated in the procurement deal with the supplier of this warship is a proviso that states it will be equipped with the top of the line, highly sophisticated weapons system by a French firm called Thales. Thales is a recognised name in the defense weapons systems world. Highly respected, its weapons systems are being used by many countries and are installed in over 170 plus ships around the world.

Now, Hyundai built our frigate with specifications consistent with Thales defense weapons system design, expected since you'll not equip such a warship with machine guns not meant for it. In the military, war equipment are made based on the requirements of the buyer. Requirements are based on a much agreed strategy or principle of war being followed by the buyer.

The Philippines is an archipelagic state. Our borders are porous. Much of our territory is water. Therefore, our defense philosophy is really territorial defense not offensive strategy. We need naval ships. We need frigates which are built to protect our bigger naval assets as well as provide muscle in our anti terror operations by being the most sought after by amphibious expeditionary forces. Since we don't have any submarine, we really on Frigates because they are built to counter submarine activity.

Of course, any frigate will just be a duck sitting on still water if not fully armed and ready for battle. A frigate will just be something like a Hummer being used by a civilian for bragging rights without a sophisticated weapons system. Such a ship should have its matching defense system otherwise, if you install it with one that is not consistent with the design specifications of the ship, you'll be creating something like a banca equipped with a heavy machine gun at its brow. Do that and you are either stupid or downright traitor.

That is treason in the highest order because you are not doing your best equipping your defense systems with the latest and the most combat ready equipment when you are simply capable of doing so. Of course, Thales is higher priced than a Hanwa, but there is simply no comparison between the two. You cannot compare a French wine with someone's moonshine and say that they taste similar. You must be dreaming.

The thing is, if you have that mindset of always scrimping for costs, you are just like your predecessors, someone like an Emilio Abaya of the DOTR who authorised the purchase of MRT trams whose systems are incompatible with your present MRT system.

Treason? Yes. Why? As a government official you are there to provide the public with the best service and in this case, a defense system that your enemy would not mock at and would definitely save lives.

What is simply most disturbing is the fact that the price of this Thales system has been approved already and the funds allocated for its purchase. And yet, you decide against it and choose a Hanwa system which is simply too far off when it comes to reliability and trustworthiness even by your navy officials. Who would want then to ride on a frigate which you know would practically be a sitting such once it hits the water and once it engages an enemy with a more sophisticated defense system.

You would be losing valuable lives. If I'm a Navy official, I would surely not command such a frigate into war. That's suicide.

Would you be proud to tell the Filipino people that the reason you choose a poor defense system is because of costs comparison and not other more substantial reasons? How about saving lives of your men? How about permanently and effectively neutralising an enemy or aggressor?

This is the problem. Some of our political leaders are dipping their fingers on issues which they have practically no knowledge about. They think that purchasing military resources are like buying fish in the market.

Military acquisitions are special because they require thought--something our political leaders sorely lack. When a political leader exercises not brain but plain and simple barrio tic common sense, this is what we get---a country peopled with 101 million defenseless souls and a beautiful country whose natural assets are left to the predatory caprices of foreign demons all because of our Navy's inability to secure our watery territory.

Because of costs considerations, many lives are sure to be lost once this frigate engages another in a brutal naval fight. It's like what our political leaders did during the eighties when we bought those flying coffins dubbed Huey's helicopters.

Now, we have a frigate which is literally a paper banca, ill defended and most probably would be servicing like a muscled luxury yacht all porma no sting.

And a bemedalled, highly respected Navy official got the boot all because he used his brain and stood what he believed would be for the best interests of the institution which he dedicated most of his adult life for. Who among our commodores want our consigns to die aboard a frigate with a poor Hanwa as a defensive weapon? Probably those who kept their silence. Keeping one's silence in a time when one's voice is needed is not just a coward--but a traitor.

This is a very sad commentary in an other wise bright news for our Navy. For all my time, I had high hopes for the Philippine Navy. Among our list of services, the Navy had the least number of scandals compared with the Philippine army. Of course, there are several accusations of the Navy being involved in smuggling and of human rights violations but these are all in the forgettable past. For the past few years, the Navy had improved its image and is the most transparent among our services.

And now this.